


Time

by Dionysus_lover



Series: One shots [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adult Hermione Granger, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Family Fluff, Floor Sex, Forehead Kisses, French Kissing, Good Severus Snape, Light Angst, Love, Not Really Character Death, Passion, Pregnancy, Severus Snape Lives, Tongues, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:13:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24892942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dionysus_lover/pseuds/Dionysus_lover
Summary: Hermione was miserable. She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye, and now he was gone; but Fate seems to have other plans for her.He is still there and he's coming back, for her._-_-_-_-_-_Extract:Severus Snape was dead. He had looked Harry in the eyes one last time, giving him his most painful memories and then he had passed out, like the weak flame of a burnt out candle. Severus Tobias Snape had died in a pool of blood surrounded by dust and darkness and Hermione had cried. She had cried all her tears. They were stupid tears: Professor Snape had never noticed the light in her eyes every time he spoke. How to blame him. She had only been a student. An insufferable know it all. It wasn't the comments that had hurt her, it was that they were all true and they came from him. Hermione hadn't lost faith in him. She had never lost faith in anyone._-_-_-_-_-_Light angst at the beginning and then fluff and SMUT. Enjoy.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Series: One shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1654882
Comments: 9
Kudos: 274





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not English mothertongue so please be gentle with me.  
> Now go on, read it, think of Alan Rickman's voice and enjoy.  
> Peace✌️

Severus Snape was dead. He had looked Harry in the eyes one last time, giving him his most painful memories and then he had passed out, like the weak flame of a burnt out candle. Severus Tobias Snape had died in a pool of blood surrounded by dust and darkness and Hermione had cried. She had cried all her tears. They were stupid tears: Professor Snape had never noticed the light in her eyes every time he spoke. How to blame him. She had only been a student. An insufferable know it all. It wasn't the comments that had hurt her, it was that they were all true and they came from him. Hermione hadn't lost faith in him. She had never lost faith in anyone. Until the end.

When she had returned alone to the Shrieking Shack, looking for his body to say goodbye, one last time, he was not there. Instead, blood and a handful of dust remained. She had knelt on the floor, praying and hoping he would come back, that he was still alive, but there was so much blood...  
Harry and Ron didn't understand why they had to drag her away. Hermione broke her nails and scratched her hands, trying to stay there a little longer, her clothes were soaked in his blood and Nagini's poison. She was screaming. She called him by name. No reply came.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
Hermione went back to school. Hogwarts was populated by sorrowful souls. The corridors were cemeteries. The classrooms were sepulchres in which to be silent and listen, hoping to hear the thoughts vanish like air. Each wall was stained with blood. Hermione touched the walls of Hogwarts with her fingertips and wept, as if she could still hear the screams of pain and fear. She asked Minerva for permission to study potions on her own, as a self-taught. Permission granted. Hermione didn't say she couldn't, she couldn't go down to the basement. She couldn't. There was still his scent over there.

The trials were also held during the first months of the new school year. Hermione was sometimes called to testify. She attended the Ministry of Magic trial against Severus Tobias Snape. Harry's memories were sufficient. A whole life, passed like a slave: first of a violent father, then of his love for Lily, at the end of Voldemort and Dumbledore. Both had used him as a pawn. Hermione saw the shame and dishonor in Harry's eyes, showing the Minister James and Sirius who beat, harassed and humiliated Snape. If she had known... If all of them had known! There was no greater shame. Cowards. All of them. Hermione had returned to Hogwarts and entered McGonagall's office without asking for permission.

"Coward! You knew it! You killed him! I hate you! I hate you!" the girl screamed against Dumbledore's portrait.

Filthy, merciless bastard. Minerva had had to force her away.

"No! Show me! I must see him! Severus! _Severus_!" Hermione was screaming as she had been taken away.

Only the following day Minerva had to explain to a delusional Hermione Granger that Snape had never appeared in any portrait. His voice had gone forever.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
The work helped her to get distracted. Hermione tried not to think about her loneliness, she devoted herself to her work in the Ministry for the rights of magical creatures. She was satisfied with her position. Her extensive studies of all creatures allowed her to deal with wizards from all over the world, and to take part in numerous conferences. Her apartment was small, practical, furnished only with the bare essentials. Hermione drank too much coffee, she didn't have a real table to eat, her tea table was always covered with paperwork, and every corner of the house was full of books. It was not what she had dreamed of. She had no family. She had no husband. She wasn't looking for one, actually. No man would ever have been him, and if it couldn't have been him, it wouldn't have been anyone else.

From time to time Harry invited her to dinner. He and Ginny had been married for a few years and she had had James. Ron was almost never there. They had not been particularly close after their relationship had silently crumbled and he had quit his job as Auror to help George in the shop. Hermione took little Weasley-Potter in her arms and wondered what it meant to feel the love of a child in her arms.

"The Ministry offers a lot of economic and social aid to the Ministry's young dependent mothers. Kingsley would be happy to offer you all the appropriate facilities" Ginny had told her. It was evident that her friend Hermione's desire to become a mother.

"Ginny, the problem is that I want to be a mother, but I don't want to be a wife. I don't want a man in my life, I'm not ready for this type of relationship, however... I want a son, a family."

"Hermione, sperm banks exist in the wizarding world too."

Hermione had moved to Grimmaud Place. Harry and Ginny had moved house, had chosen a cottage outside the city, and the Weasleys had moved in with them, with the Borrow and George and Angelina. Harry had left Hermione the house.

"This house's not mine, this house was of the Order and you need it if you want a family" he insisted.

The house had changed, everything that reminded them of the war was gone. Now there were only clean walls, new furniture, lots of books and a children's bedroom.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
Hermione cried all day and all night, first in pain and then in joy. At the sperm bank, she had been perfectly fit for the requirements to become a mother. Kingsley had assured her of a salary increase and a monthly repayment to be able to hire a nanny to help her with her unborn child. Her health was perfect, the mediwitch had confided to her that she would probably get pregnant on the first attempt. So they had given her the opportunity to choose the characteristics of the biological father. Hermione had leafed through all the profiles, one after the other, relentlessly, subconsciously looking for someone who would remind her of him. Until she found it. Not someone who looked like him, but _him_. Severus. She hadn't had to look any further. She became pregnant, on the first attempt, with Severus Snape. Hermione cried all night. She hoped that, whether the baby was a boy or a girl, her baby had his eyes.

Scarlett Granger-Snape was born on May 2nd, covering the nightmare of an unjust death with the gift of a wonderful birth. She was a healthy and smiling child. She ate a lot, slept little, was full of energy and terribly curious. Hermione was dying to see her grow slowly. She had never felt happier. Each night she held her in his arms, watching her sleep, aware that she would be a happy and loved child. She was beautiful.

"Are you happy?" Harry asked. Hermione watched Albus play with little Scarlett, who had just turned one year old. Yes, she was happy.

"I think she's the greatest gift this life has given me" she said, smiling.

"Albus loves Scarlett" Ginny commented and Harry agreed.

Hermione laughed, but the laughter hid bitterness. Albus had his father's eyes, just as Scarlett had his eyes: black and deep like the darkest night or the deepest heart of the ocean. A depth that could only be born from a unique soul. If only those eyes hadn't gone through hell...

"She is a gift for me... But also for him. Especially for him. He would have loved her" Hermione whispered and she was convinced.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
The first article on Scarlett Snape was published in the Daily Prophet when Hermione enrolled the girl in kindergarten. The girl was three years old and had already shown signs of magic. She liked to turn the colored globe on her bedside table, she liked to make the lights float around the room and watch the stars from the windows, when she could find one. She learned words quickly. She liked to listen to the stories her mother told her, she liked to sleep on the armchair by the fire and the sweetened hot tea. Hermione tied her raven hair into two childish braids and dressed her neatly. Scarlett was an obedient, curious, courageous, respectful child. Sometimes when she didn't understand something, she raised her left eyebrow in an expression that reminded her father in an almost disturbing way. Hermione often told her about him.  
"Your dad was a hero, do you know, my love?" Hermione whispered to her and Scarlett nodded, not understanding fully, but convinced that he was there, hidden somewhere, watching over her from afar and actually, he was there.

It was Friday, and it was late in the evening. Hermione had rolled up the covers for Scarlett and the girl had fallen asleep. Hermione had gone down the stairs to go back to the living room to read before sleeping, when someone had knocked on the door. Three times, shyly. When she hesitated to approach the door, that person started knocking again, more insistently. It had been raining outside for several hours, the rain was beating non-stop. The wind blew tirelessly and it was a cold mid-autumn evening. Hermione put the book on the armchair and made sure she had her wand by her side. The hallway of the house was dark, but the outside light on the landing of the house was on and she could see the silhouette of the person on the other side of the door. He must have been a man, tall and covered by a long, heavy cloak. It seemed familiar, but Hermione couldn't frame it... It reminded her of Mad Eye or ... But no, it was impossible. Impossible.  
"Coming" Hermione whispered, rubbing her eyes and closing the buttons of the wool cardigan she was wearing over her nightgown. She opened the door.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
Snape was gone. The antidote he had clenched between his teeth, just before Nagini's bite and the attached anticoagulant, had allowed him to survive and recover the strength necessary to apparate elsewhere. He had healed himself, had long been ready to face the possibility of his death. He wasn't prepared to be relieved and cleared of all charges a few months after the last fight, thanks to Harry Potter's memories! The boy who had survived _twice_! Unbelievable. Severus had considered the possibility of announcing his survival, but then he was awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class. The newspapers had never stopped writing about him, his troubled past, his position at Hogwarts, the doubts that many still harbored about his innocence. Snape didn't blame anyone. He knew he wasn't entirely pure. Some of his actions, however justified, had been truly terrible, unforgivable. It had taken him years to come to terms with what he was. He had not found a way to return to a society that had made him a slave to the mass media. He wanted to be free, from everything and everyone. Too many ghosts were hiding in his thoughts. At that time, he managed to mend the wounds of his heart. His debt was paid off. He was no longer tied to Lily, to her death. Potter had survived in the end. He had secured Voldemort's defeat. On one day in May he had summoned his patronus, taken by a nostalgic instinct. To his amazement, it had changed. An albatross. He couldn't help but think of that poem, by Baudelaire.

« _Often our sailors, for an hour of fun,_  
_Catch albatrosses on the after breeze_  
_Through which these trail the ship from sun to sun_  
_As it skims down the deep and briny seas._

_Scarce have these birds been set upon the poop,_  
_Than, awkward now, they, the sky's emperors,_  
_Piteous and shamed, let their great white wings droop_  
_Beside them like a pair of idle oars._

_These wingèd voyagers, how gauche their gait!_  
_Once noble, now how ludicrous to view!_  
_One sailor bums them with his pipe, his mate_  
_Limps, mimicking these cripples who once flew._

_Poets are like these lords of sky and cloud,_  
_Who ride the storm and mock the bow's taut strings,_  
_Exiled on earth amid a jeering crowd,_  
_Prisoned and palsied by their giant wings_.»

Exiled from the earth, but free in his solitude. He liked this picture. He could not imagine that this exiled freedom would last so short...  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
"No... **No**!" Hermione had whispered, first in a soft, bewildered voice, then with a threatening hiss.

She had pulled out her wand and pointed it at his neck, on the scar exposed without shame. Snape was drenched from head to toe. He had walked in the darkness of Grimmaud Place for only a few meters, after materializing there, but it was enough to completely wet his coat and his hair. He was cold, but that wasn't why he was shaking. Hermione Granger was no longer the thin, frightened girl he remembered, the one crying hidden inside her blood-stained pink sweatshirt, the one who seemed to be able to break at any moment. She was a woman, strong and proud, determined and fearless. Her hair was no longer a mass of shapeless curls, her cheeks were no longer those of a little girl, her body, although it was hidden under a long cardigan, was softer than that of the little girl, just seventeen who had wept over what she believed to be his corpse.

"Miss Granger..." he tried to explain himself, but the wand stuck more forcefully into his scarred flesh.

"Don't you dare! With what silly courage do you present yourself at my door in this guise, ridiculous impostor?!" she insisted, her voice angry but thin, probably not to wake the girl. Gods, Snape hoped Scarlett was sleeping.

"Miss Granger, please..." he tried again, but she wasn't going to give up. Damned Gryffindor.

"Don't. Talk. I'll call the Aurors, Harry Potter in person and believe me I'll make you have the funniest tour of Azkaban you can ever imagine!"

"Look at me" he said and Hermione stopped for a moment.

The echo of those words that rang in her head, even after all those years. She practically screamed her thoughts: it's not possible, you're dead.

"These are the last words I spoke to Harry Potter, whispering just before my death, in the Shrieking Shack, before you tried to hold on to my bleeding body to give me back my life. Isn't that right, Miss Granger?" Snape stated and Hermione lowered her wand.

She started to cry. She approached him, trembling, with a tight hand on her lips to prevent herself from screaming. Hermione closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his chest, above his heart, sobbing relentlessly, trembling like a leaf in the wind, chattering her teeth as if she could cut off her tongue at any moment. Severus said nothing. He understood the shock of the young woman. After all those years... But the night was cold and rainy, his clothes were soaked and Hermione wore clothes that were too light not to risk getting cold.

"Miss Granger, would you allow me to get in and make hot tea? I will explain everything only after making sure you are able to listen to me" he whispered, gently stroking her hair with one hand. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
"Is this some kind of nightmare? Soon I will wake up and you will be dead again? Or am I definitely crazy?" Hermione whispered, without the courage to lift her eyes from the cup of tea again.

They sat in the living room, in front of the fire, surrounded by the library where the young woman spent her nights.  
Severus had had to bite his cheek not to smile sarcastically. He shook his head.

"Obviously, I'm not dead" he said.

"Why?" Hermione replied and when she raised her hazel eyes on him, Snape felt a profound discomfort.

She had suffered and he couldn't deny it, even if he didn't understand why. Above all, he didn't understand the reason for the little creature sleeping on the upper floor.

"Why choose me? Of all of them..." Severus replied.

"How Slytherin of you... You haven't answered my question. Don't you dare tell me I haven't either. I spoke first" Hermione replied with a sigh.

Severus crossed his legs, his gaze fixed on her terribly serious. As if nothing had changed.

"You must listen to me, Miss Granger, without prejudice" he whispered and Hermione trembled again at the sound of that voice, that voice that caressed her sinuously, that warmed her more than the crackling fire, that baritone that she remembered only in her innermost dreams and tormented desires.

"Hermione" she whispered in reply. Severus nodded.

"Hermione" he repeated, his eyes fixed on the tea as if he were thinking about the sound of that name on his lips.  
So, Severus told her everything.

"I thought to leave a trace of myself, somewhere, in case my plan didn't work out completely" Severus explained, reaching the end of his story "I imagined that in any case it would have been a hidden detail, a crumb that would have been taken into the oblivion of memory... I couldn't even remotely assume that one day the most brilliant witch of her age, chose me, to be the biological father. My owl brought me the Daily Prophet, like every day, and I saw you with a little girl shaking your hand in the doorway of Grimmaud Place, a little girl with black braids. I thought long about what to do. I know I upset your life again, but I could no longer bear the idea of being so far away from... Why, Hermione?"

Were his eyes pleading, full of light and... longing? Hermione shook her head. How could she tell him? _I love you, even if you have been my professor, half the world still hates you and you are twenty years older than me, but I love you even if I realized it too late to be able to save your life?_ It made no sense, yet it was true.

"I wanted a family, but not a husband. I never... I couldn't hope to find the right man. Nobody could... Well, nobody could give me what I was looking for, but I wanted a family, a unique love, a purpose. When I went to the doctors, I found you and it was like... A sign. I wanted you alive. I tried. I got pregnant immediately and she is... Scarlett is wonderful. She is smart, gifted, curious. She loves fairy tales and... She has your eyes" Hermione whispered, looking down.

Severus' heart was beating faster than ever, a tireless drum. He had never imagined becoming a father and now, suddenly, the mere thought of seeing a little girl, his little girl, with his eyes, melted his heart and soul, made him move.

"Why - why did you want me alive?" he asked insistently, but Hermione shook her head.

"Don't - we shouldn't go into the matter further."

"Oh, but we should. It is my daughter upstairs."

"The fact that you're the donor doesn't make you a father. You weren't here" Hermione whispered, her voice resentful.

But how could he know? He had escaped from a world that had been too cruel to him and had not been wrong, after all that Hermione knew he had been forced to suffer, she had been able to understand everything.

"What if I want to be now? Would you let me?" Severus asked.

He had needed all his courage to come to the conclusion that, for his daughter, he would go back to meet the wickedness of the world. For Scarlett Snape, he would do everything, without resentment, without feeling guilty, just for love. No, he didn't feel like a slave to something he hadn't chosen, but he finally felt alive, again, with one purpose: a family, if she allowed him to.  
Hermione burst into tears. She nodded weakly. Severus got up from his chair, carefully approached her, holding out his hand. When she took it Severus invited her to get up and hugged her again. He would not have abandoned his family.

Severus did not smell damp from Hogwarts' basement, not anymore. The fumes of the potions didn't impregnate him even inside the cloak, his clothes were no longer bigoted and forced. Hermione put her face on his black vest and took a deep breath. She was convinced that if she smelled a cauldron from Amorentia, she would feel exactly that: late autumn rain, black tea and a faint hint of cologne. It was perfect. Maybe that was the moment when she realized that he was really alive. The moment she felt his scent and his heartbeat under his white shirt and sweater. Hermione let go, abandoning herself to that moment of warmth and affection. Severus held her in his arms, without moving his hands from her hips. It was like finally being home, finally complete. But the moment couldn't last. She parted from him and sat down on the sofa again. Severus didn't resume his seat in the armchair, he remained standing, vaguely embarrassed, not knowing how to behave. Should he sit next to her? Go away? Ask her if she wanted him to make more tea? He didn't want to leave. Hermione was a pleasant, indeed delightful woman. She was unpretentious, with a young and sweet face, her eyes filled with love when she spoke of her daughter, she had a huge heart. She was ready to give him a place in their life and he was extremely happy about it.

"Hermione, I am grateful to you for this, sincerely. I haven't been a lucky man, but I consider you my greatest joy, both of you, even if I have not yet met Scarlett. I am not rich, but I will provide for the family, according to my possibilities. Above all, I'm going to be the father I didn't have" Severus said.

Perhaps, in anyone else's eyes, after being an undercover Death Eater for years, that speech would have seemed ridiculous, but Hermione Granger was no ordinary woman. She smiled.

"Please, Severus, don't go. It's a terrible evening, we have many rooms here" she said, moving aside and gesturing for him to sit down.

"Actually, I didn't bring anything with me, I didn't plan to stay the night..." he admitted, but her eyes immediately betrayed a slight disappointment.

He quickly went over those words: if she wanted him to stop, he would stay forever. Hermione smiled again.

"Tomorrow morning you'll meet Scarlett, now she has to sleep. You will be amazed to see how much she looks like you..." Hermione blushed at the thought and Severus smiled.

He started to reach out to take her hand, but he found himself shy... Strange. It wasn't something that had ever happened to him, he had never hesitated in his life. Now it was different. He had changed, his entire existence was reversing and he couldn't have been happier and more nervous. Yes, he was afraid, but he had never been happier to be afraid in his life.

"You must be tired too" Hermione said again, placing her hands on the sofa to get up and go to prepare a room for him.

Severus stopped her. He put his hand on hers and Hermione trembled. Goosebumps crossed her spine and she got lost in his eyes. Oh gods, those eyes. The flames of the fireplace reflected in his irises, pitch black. They were beautiful. There was no more tiredness or pain in them, only hope and sweetness. Hermione sat down again, a little closer to him, hoping Severus wouldn't notice.

"I'm not tired" he replied.

For a moment Hermione had the impression that his gaze stopped on her lips. She had to breathe deeply to be able to calm her trembling heart.

"Neither am I" Hermione said.

With a wave of her hand she revived the fire in the fireplace. Severus smiled. Their hands had not separated. They kept talking.

Hermione told him about what had happened after the war between her and Ron, then between Harry and Ginny, then George and how difficult it had been for him to face mourning. He had never completely passed Fred's death. Severus had gritted his teeth and continued listening, trying to fight guilt. He had done everything in his forces to save as many lives as possible. Then Hermione told him about Harry's children. He rolled his eyes when she confided the name of the firstborn to him, and pretended not to be impressed when he found out that they had called the second by his name. Hermione thought that, having been a spy for so long, now that he no longer needed to hide, he had become extremely transparent. Then Severus told her how difficult it had been to heal himself, away from the rest of the world, without the certainty that he had managed to save Harry and, in this way, to settle his debt with Lily. He had finally felt relieved and free. He recounted the pain and loneliness in all his life, how much he had been forced to submit, without being able to make any decision about his life. They talked for at least two more hours, holding hands. He stroked the back of her hand with the tip of his thumb and Hermione thanked the light of the fire that masked the redness on her cheeks.

At midnight they found themselves yawning a few more times and fatigue was taking over. They walked up the stairs, Hermione in front of him. Severus found himself excited, nervous, but happy, happy as he had never been. Hermione was a tenacious, incredible, determined woman, certainly a wonderful, sweet, caring mother. She was also pretty. She wasn't of a cruel and ruthless beauty like that of Lily, she was truly innocent, pure and simple, bright and devoid of malice. She wasn't incapable of forgiving, or ready to laugh at his humiliation. She was kind-hearted, she was bright and brilliant. She walked up the stairs in front of him, waving her hips like those of a mermaid and Severus could not take his eyes off that splendid, round and soft... "The guest room" Hermione whispered.

Severus thanked the darkness that covered his embarrassed face and his newly woken cock. They were close. _Too_ close. Hermione was breathing on his chest and he could smell the scent of her hair. Severus came a little closer, cautiously, as if afraid of scaring her, but Hermione trusted him. She had invited him to her home. He slowly raised a hand. With the fingertips, he touched her cheek. It was warm, soft. Oh gods, she was... _Fuck_. No. Too early. He couldn't have those thoughts already. The desire to caress her as he shouldn't have done. He had to breathe deeply and regain control. His cock had suddenly awakened after a long hibernation, requiring attention that had not been allowed for a very long time. Severus leaned over her and kissed her forehead. A chaste, delicate, elegant kiss. Hermione closed her eyes and a century seemed to pass in a second. _Thanks, thanks, thanks_. Hermione practically screamed this one thought and it was impossible for Severus to ignore it.

"No, Hermione, I thank you. Goodnight" he whispered, then entered his room and closed the door behind him, before she could notice his conspicuous erection.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
The following morning, at the first light of dawn, Hermione entered the girl's room and got into bed with her. After a couple of strokes, she began to open her eyes and yawn. Crookshanks jumped on the bed and approached the girl with the front legs.

"Mommy, Crushan's naughty" Scarlett whispered and Hermione smiled.

When Scarlett opened her eyes, she rolled over to her mom and hugged her.

"Honey" Hermione whispered "mom has a surprise for you".

Scarlett raised her bright eyes and smiled. Hermione moved a few hairs from her face.

"Do you remember the stories mom tells you about your dad? That he was very brave, and that helped Uncle Harry save the whole world from that bad wizard?"

"Vollemore and the evil snake" Scarlett whispered, her eyes full of light, like every time she heard her dad's name spoken. Hermione nodded.

"And do you remember what I always tell you about your dad?"

"Daddy watch over me, because he luv me."

"Exactly, honey. And would you like to know him? Would you like to meet him?"

Scarlett smiled, she nodded quickly and jumped on the bed. "Yes! Daddy! Where's Daddy?" Scarlett exclaimed. Hermione had to pick up Scarlett and convince her to have breakfast to keep her from running all over the house, looking for Severus.

Severus had slept little. Actually, nothing. When he heard his daughter's voice say the word _daddy_ , Severus had to cover his mouth with one hand to stifle the sobs of emotion. When Hermione and Scarlett had gone down the stairs, Severus found time to prepare.  
Hermione knocked on his door about forty minutes later.

"She's playing in the living room and waiting for you. Are you coming to meet her?" she asked and Severus didn't find the strength to answer.

Scarlett played with colored crayons on the living room floor. She was lying on her stomach, her small feet raised in the air rocking back and forth as she drew. She was beautiful. Severus stopped Hermione for a second. He wanted to imprint that image forever in his memory, before risking being rejected by that splendid creature. His daughter. Their daughter. He still couldn't believe it.

"Scarlett, love" Hermione called out to her; the girl looked up and got up from the floor "Do you want to meet your dad?".

Severus was afraid of looking too tall, too threatening and imposing. He lowered himself, until he knelt on the ground, while the girl walked towards her mother and shook her hand. Hermione encouraged her with a smile.

"Hi Scarlett" Severus whispered. At those words the girl smiled.

"Daddy" she said. Severus nodded, with tears in his eyes.

Scarlett laughed, with immense joy, and approached him without shyness, she embraced him. Severus squeezed her gently, as if he had been afraid of breaking her, but already feeling her his. Nothing would ever hurt her. He would protect her from everything, from every evil in the world.

"Daddy plays with me?" Scarlett whispered and Severus nodded.

"Of course - of course Dad plays with you, Scarlett."

They played together all morning. Hermione heard Scarlett laugh, watched her run around the house as Severus walked behind her and Scarlett laughed happily as her dad used to catch her. Severus summoned his patronus to make her play and the girl was thrilled. Hermione was amazed, seeing the albatross flying free through the house chased by her daughter, but a glance at Severus was enough to understand this change. He was a different man, a free man, a man who had let go and was ready for a new life. Scarlett didn't want to part with her dad, not even for a moment, all morning, then all day. Severus washed the dishes while Hermione finished feeding Scarlett. He had never been so happy to use his wand for cleaning. After lunch Scarlett had cried, refusing to go to sleep, with the fear of not seeing Severus again when she woke up.

"I'm staying here, we'll meet again after your nap, I promise you" Severus said.

Scarlett reached out to him and he picked her up. He rocked her in his arms, listening to her little heart beat. Hermione was smiling with emotion. When the girl was in bed again, the two moved back to the living room to have tea.

"She is splendid" Severus whispered, almost surprised at the simplicity with which she had accepted him. She had taken everything from her mother. Hermione nodded.

"She is happy to have you in his life. Now you can no longer go back..."

Severus frowned. "Is that what you're afraid of? That I may disappear again?"

"Severus, you will have to start living again, like a living person. You can no longer hide."

Severus left the cup of tea on the table in front of the fireplace and turned to Hermione. He took her face in his hands. His gaze was lost in her hazel eyes.

"For her I am willing to give up everything, I will give her anything to make her happy. Believe me Hermione, I fell in love with Scarlett from the first moment I saw her playing with colored pencils, lying on the floor. I will be her father until at the end of my days and I don't intend to abandon her or you. You are a wonderful mother, you have been so strong and determined in these years, without a man with whom to share all this... I admire you very much" Severus whispered to her, his face too close to hers. Hermione had started to cry without realizing it, his thumbs wiping the tears on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry..." he added.  
_I'm sorry... I'm sorry I came too late, I hid myself, I wasn't always the father Scarlett needed, the partner who had to help you, maybe the husband you wanted._ These thoughts tormented him. How to fix it?

"It's not too late" Hermione whispered. Severus looked up at her again. What an incredible woman...

"Can I hold you, Hermione?" he asked shyly.

She smiled and nodded. Hermione hid her face in the corner between his neck and shoulder, right where the scar was. Severus rested his chin on her shoulder. His hands gently caressed her back, slowly, savoring every movement, impressing them indelibly on her memory. It was too much and at the same time, it wasn't enough. She needed more. More breaths, more caresses, more kisses... The sensation of his warm skin against hers, his hands that touched her back, his chest on which to press her breasts, those lips to bite and kiss, his... Severus suddenly moved, a small moan released his lips, perhaps embarrassment or discomfort and Hermione let him go. That was more than she ever hoped for herself and for her baby, she only hoped to get used to living knowing that she couldn't be reciprocated in those feelings.  
Severus had had to leave her. His cock was getting hard enough to hurt him. Oh gods, Hermione thought so loudly! Being able to feel her thoughts, her most tormented desires, her need to feel his skin against hers, his mouth everywhere on her body, his shame-free hands touching her obscenely and gods! Oh yes, he wanted it! He wanted to push her on that sofa, tear her clothes off, not even give her time to understand what was happening and fuck her with all the strength he still had in his body. No. No, he had to control himself. Everything at the right time. He didn't want to go wrong, not again. He let her go with the promise of finding the right time.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
A couple of weeks passed. Severus paced back from his home, lost in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, and forth at number twelve, Grimmaud Place. They knew that Severus' secret would be discovered sooner or later, but they didn't care. Both of them were happy. Severus spent every evening with his family, helped Hermione prepare dinner or played with Scarlett, read her a book, told her a fairy tale. Hermione was amazed at how many things he was willing to do with the baby. Scarlett was thrilled with her dad and Severus always had to wait for her to fall asleep to go home, otherwise the girl would have been inconsolable. So, in the end, Severus had confided to Hermione his desire not to part with the family.

"I don't want to deprive you or her of your freedom. You have your job, and you want Scarlett to go to Muggle school before Hogwarts and it seems right, as long as Scarlett is happy... But I wish I could be close, always. I'd like to help you with the house, the little girl and everything else. I don't want to be just a half father" Severus said, desperately trying to control his emotions.

She's going to say no, she doesn't want me close, I'm a bad father. I'm not a good man. Severus was unable to avoid his darkest thoughts, finding himself unconsciously covering his left forearm with his right hand. Hermione laid her hand on his, awakening him from that brief nightmare with his eyes open.

"I would love it, really, but... Maybe first we should talk to Harry, Ron and their families. And above all we should choose how... I mean... You don't know how happy I am that you want to be the father that our daughter needs, but I can understand that you don't want to be a... companion? But I... For my own and Scarlett's sake, I must be sure of what you want."

Hermione was right. Severus leaned against the kitchen cabinet, squeezing the edge with his hands in an attempt to sink his nails somewhere, having to discipline his thoughts. He sighed. Hermione, standing in front of him, had a hopeful light in her eyes.

"Hermione, I want this family with you. I can understand and accept your will not to bind you to any man, however - if you wanted to accept me... I wasn't a good man, but you already know this, do you? I was the big bad wolf, the dungeon bat, the greasy git and you - you were nothing but a little, unbearable know it all, but it seems that things have changed. Obviously, you are no longer that naive girl and I have never really been that monster. So if you wanted to accept myself for who I am, I would be happy to spend my life with the beautiful woman and mother you have become" he said.

Only when he was done talking, he noticed that Hermione had approached. In fact, she was dangerously close. _I could grab her. I could touch her, run my hands through her hair, over her neck. I could bite her. I could eat her alive, she is so delicious. I could stick my tongue down her throat, find out what she tastes like. I could lick her, anywhere._ Severus couldn't have coherent thoughts, she unleashed hell in his loins, a tumult in his heart, a tremor in his hands.  
Hermione dared not look up at his eyes. _Oh gods, if he looks at me, if he looks at me now, I could die. I am no longer a girl, and he... He is such a **man**. Look at those perfect lips, look at those solid shoulders, how tall, how proud, elegant, charming. He's so... Immense. Proportionate. I bet everything in him is proportionate. I bet he would allow me to find out. Come on, Hermione, go and get it._  
And she did. Hermione stood on tiptoe, before he could move, and put her shy lips on his.

That was the second that lasted, for Severus, as long as a century, at least until he had the feeling that she was slipping away without him having the good sense to return that kiss. But Severus was not a graceful man. He was a man who for too long had repressed himself in too tight and high-necked clothes. A man who had sworn never to wear a tie again. Severus grabbed Hermione. Their lips parted only for a split second, before he reached out to her. Severus put one hand on the back of her neck, in the middle of her thick hair, another on the soft hip, he pulled her towards him and their mouths opened, one against the other, their lips rubbed on each other. Their tongues met, swirled around each other, tasted each other, made love, fought for dominion. Hermione clutched the shirt on his chest, brought him closer to her, she wanted to tear it and kiss him everywhere. Gods, he was so solid. So fucking manly. Hermione moaned on his mouth, the shudder on his lips made him tremble even more. Severus reversed their positions: Hermione found herself with her back arched, her ass against the kitchen counter, Severus' hands on Hermione's cheeks refrained from exploring the rest of her body. He couldn't control the bestial urge to rub his painful and forced erection in his pants, against her thigh. _Fuck. It's big. So big. I want it, I want it now._ Hermione slid her fingers over the first button of his shirt and started to undo it, one, then two, then three buttons. Her lips slid over his neck, kissing him, gently stroking him, driving him crazy. Hermione swore she heard him swearing, a soft « _fuck_ » in the midst of breathless breathing. Severus' hands stopped on her hips as Hermione slid the tip of her tongue over his sensitive scar. He stifled a moan and, miraculously, found the strength to get away from her. Hermione had to catch her breath and look him in the eyes for a few minutes. His eyes were full of lust and desire. She was dying to have him.

"Not like that, not now. We have time" he whispered. Severus gave her one last light, quick kiss on the lips before hugging her.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
Harry, Ron, all the Weasleys and all their friends nearly died of a heart attack when Hermione invited everyone to Grimmaud Place and there, Severus opened the door for them. Harry really passed out. Albus screamed that they had the same name and didn't stop even for a minute of dabbing him with questions. Severus was... unexpectedly patient, calm, condescending. He actually had a lot to say, especially about the look Ronald was giving him, but he was silent, for the sake of Hermione and Scarlett. Everyone realized that he was indeed a different man, perhaps the moment when he took his daughter in his lap and helped her during lunch, without worrying about staining his shirt. That man was smiling. Hermione was happy. This was enough to gain everyone's acceptance.

In the following month Hermione and Severus began to get used to their future life together. Severus stayed more and more often to sleep at Grimmaud Place. Hermione found him in the evening, after dinner, after she had cleaned the kitchen, together with Scarlett in the girl's room. He helped her brush her teeth, put on her pajamas and told her stories of knights and princesses, fairies and witches, magic and spells. Scarlett listened to him fascinated until sleep took over. Then Severus and Hermione had time to be together. They kissed and cuddled for a long time, sometimes without saying anything, sometimes they only stayed in the living room to read for a while. Eventually they started sleeping together, but neither of them insisted on taking the relationship to another level. Things were going in the right direction, there was no point in rushing the times.

During the Christmas period Severus moved permanently. He abandoned his last rented residence and brought all his belongings there, to number twelve of Grimmaud Place, which Harry had definitely left to Hermione and Severus. Scarlett was the happiest girl in the world. He was so happy that she made the lights on the Christmas tree shine until she almost blew them up, if it wasn't for Hermione, who reminded her to take a breath between words.

"Daddy is at Christmas! Daddy wants a gift?" Scarlett exclaimed to her dad and Severus nodded.

"Dad buys you all the gifts you want, my dear" Severus replied and Scarlett had listed everything from the magic wand, to the storybook, to the stuffies.

On Christmas Eve Scarlett fell asleep just after dinner while Severus took her to bed. "Santa's cookies" Scarlett whispered between yawns and Severus smiled.  
"Yes, my dear, you'll see that Santa will come tonight and eat the biscuits you prepared with mom, but now... It's time to sleep."

When he returned to the first floor sitting room Hermione was already eating cookies. Severus smiled. She was sitting on the floor in front of the fire, an open book on her legs and her hair curled at the shoulders. Her white nightgown was crossed by red buttons along its entire length, it was tightened at the waist and showed the shape of her small, firm breasts. She was a vision. Hermione looked up at him and smiled a little embarrassed, her cheeks full of biscuits.  
Severus laughed. "You are beautiful" he whispered. Hermione invited him to sit next to her.

They read in silence for half an hour. Hermione leaned against the sofa with her back, Severus next to her girded her shoulders and stroked her hair. In the end, the last biscuit remained. Severus took it before Hermione could reach out on the plate. She looked at him with a half smile, a little innocent and a little amused. Severus lowered it to her mouth, his intense gaze traveled from her golden eyes to her young and delicious mouth.

"Come on" he said, "taste it, bite it." His voice was deep, warm, it made her tremble with every word. Hermione could do nothing but submit to those orders, so sweet. She bit.  
Shit, Severus thought, so pure, so innocent. Look at those eyes... Hermione swallowed the biscuit bit by bit, Severus looked at her as if she had been the dessert. He seemed to want to tear her up, she would have allowed him to do anything with those lips.

"Such a good girl. Was it good? You know, it is said that the last bite is always the most satisfying. Is that so?" he asked her, his voice was honey on her skin, his lips so close to her neck as he spoke. Hermione didn't reply, she shivered with desire, her heart was in turmoil.

"Hmm, look. There is some chocolate left, right here, on my fingers. It would be a shame if you got dirty, isn't it? Why don't you clean them?" Severus asked, then kissed her neck, just under the earlobe.

When Severus slowly drew back, he stopped an inch of her face, black eyes fixed on Hermione's lips. She slowly opened her mouth and greeted his dirty, sweet fingers with the tip of her tongue.

" ** _Suck_** " Severus ordered and she obeyed.

A part of her was obeying to Professor Snape once again, that part of her who got excited at the idea of being in the hands of one of the most powerful, most lethal, most dangerous wizards in the world. And then there was that blind love that guided her on the lap of the best and bravest man she knew, the most affectionate of fathers, the most caring of companions. So perfect.

Hermione sucked. _Gods_ , Severus was dying to feel that tongue wet his cock, those lips suck it greedily as she was doing with his fingers. Was it the chocolate? He would have dipped his cock in chocolate if she had licked it with the same enjoyment, with the same attention, with the same concern. But that night was to be dedicated to her.  
Hermione opened her mouth again, his fingers now covered with saliva and his eyes injected with hunger and lust.

"Severus, you're teasing me..." Hermione whispered, out of breath.

She pursued him with her lips, managed to steal a kiss. His tongue licked her lower lip, his teeth bit her gently, leaving her on the verge of madness again. Her panties were practically soked and he had barely touched her.

"I know, Hermione, but you're making it so _easy_... You go crazy for the sound of my voice, the thought of my fingers drives you mad, the feeling of my mouth on your skin makes you want unspeakable obscenities and I - I'm _dying_ to satisfy you, little by little. It's so simple for me to bewitch your mind, _ensnare your senses_..."

That phrase rekindled among her memories, was the last piece of the mosaic that brought to light that little girl who was still there, inside her, ready to let herself be guided. Hermione moaned. It was as if Severus were to support her, as she melted away at his words. He finally approached her and their hungry lips met. Their kisses were desperate, impatient. Severus knew he had to regain control, before ending up too early and in his underwear, but she was all to be ruined and he couldn't wait to do it. The fire crackled in the fireplace, the atmosphere was heating up. They kissed passionately, their kisses were all tongue and teeth, bites and moans. Hermione caressed Severus' shoulders, clutched his sweater in her hands, she wanted to tear it apart. Severus had sunk his hands into her golden mane, and he didn't give her peace, not even to breathe between kisses. When that kiss stopped, their eyes meet for a moment. Hermione was beautiful, wild, enchanting. Severus was desperate, hungry, mad with passion. He laid her down on the damask carpet, then took off his sweater, throwing it carefully on the sofa. Severus leaned over her, their legs intertwined, though still covered in their clothes, and their mouths meet again. Hermione couldn't stand the idea that she still hadn't been able to touch him, not really. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and tore it. The buttons fell from the shirt, the fabric ripped and Severus... Severus **_groaned_**. A deep, infinite moan, deep and hot as the heat of the fire, like a wave of lust. Finally Hermione's hands slipped on his skin and she had the sensation of holding his own soul between her fingers. Every time she touched one of his scars Severus moaned and growled, his mouth was lost uncontrollably on her skin, on her white neck, on her untouched cheeks, on her newly discovered chest. His rhythmic breathing, his uncoordinated but eager hands, his hard cock which had started to rub against her thigh, not caring about the clothes that prevented contact, but desperately in need of relief. When his hand finally found her breast, Hermione sank her nails into Severus' back and moaned.

"I want to touch you, may I undress you?" Severus found the strength to ask.

Hermione nodded vigorously. But when she put her hands to her chest to unbutton her dress, Severus stopped her. With one hand he gently took her wrists and stopped them on the floor, above her head. With the other, he stroked her. First the cheek, never taking his eyes off her. Then the neck, only with the fingertips, listening to her accelerated beat. Eventually, he reached the buttons. He never stopped looking into her eyes and Hermione was drowned, once and for all, in those two black oceans. She was in his hands and yet she had never felt so free. An elegant hand gesture was enough for Severus to unfasten all the buttons, one after the other, in a single moment, and Hermione found herself naked beneath him, apart from the panties that still covered the wet lips of her sex.

"Ravishing" Severus whispered.

"Please touch me, please Severus, I need you to touch me" Hermione whispered breathlessly.

Severus laughed, a delightful and deep laugh. "Are you begging me already, my love? If I gave you everything right away, what could you enjoy then? No, we have time, and I know how to play with you. I'm going to explore your body, I want to find out how you like to touch yourself, I want to hear the sound of your voice in pleasure... I want to drive you _crazy_. Stay still, _Hermione_."

Severus let go of her wrists; his hand slid up to his face, stroking her cheek, while the other ran on her breast, gently squeezing it in the palm, barely stroking it, just to make her nipples more turgid and sensitive to touch.

"It's not enough, isn't it? You want more" he whispered and Hermione closed her eyes arched her back, enough to completely fill the palm of his hand with her breast, bringing their chests closer, feeling the warmth of him so close, not close enough.

"Yes, **_more_** , please" she pleaded whispering in a low voice. Severus smiled: she was already getting lost and he had just started.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
Severus had played with her nipples, pinched her, caressed and touched her, his hands had tightened her hips firmly, while they rubbed each other, looking for a little relief. Hermione had scratched his skin, clinging to his body, as if she risked drowning in that immense pleasure. Underpants had disappeared, along with his shirt. Now Severus had his pants unfastened, open enough to show his crotch and his big hard cock hidden behind the cotton boxers. Hermione's nightgown lay abandoned on the floor, while Severus had sunk his fingers between her lips and gently rubbed them on her sensitive clitoris. Hermione was moaning and panting, whispering his name like a desperate prayer, but Severus didn't give her peace. The movement of his fingers on her hot and wet sex was slow, relentless, tireless. He carried her to the edge of the precipice, only to show her how nice it would be to let go, but never give her the chance to do it.

"Once again, you can do it Hermione, for me. Just like a _good girl_ , show me" he encouraged her.

Two of his fingers slid easily into her. Oh yes, she was so soft, so tight, so hot. Her reddened chest and her tousled hair, hrr mouth, from which no more coherent sound came, if not desperate moans of excruciating pleasure. Severus arched his fingers inside her, finding that perfect spot where she lost her mind, and his thumb continued to rub the pearl between the soft lips of her precious cunt. With the other hand Severus gently covered her mouth. Hermione let herself be guided.

"Yes, that's right, you're so good to me. You like it, don't you? To hear me say you're perfect, beautiful, so responsive to my touch. Hermione, little Hermione, always looking for approval and oh, how much I am loving everything I see in you. This is what you crave, in the most hidden of your desires, the approval of your professor, the approval of the _big **bad** wolf_, isn't it?"

Severus had been among her thoughts. It was so easy when she was unable to understand or reason. That was more or less the pending account Severus had with Hermione. The unfulfilled desire to satisfy, the spasmodic search for the approval of her potions professor that he could now seal. His fingers never stopped touching her, she was a violin string that only he could play. His fingers continued to fuck her gently, back and forth, they caressed her from the inside, stimulated her to the abyss of madness and he looked at her with fascinated eyes. If he had fallen in love with Hermione, he was now completely bewitched by her. Hermione's muffled moans weren't enough. He wanted more. He wanted to give her everything. Severus released her mouth and leaned over her, his lips touched her ear and his voice made her soul tremble.

"You are so good, so perfect. My _best_ student, the brightest witch of her age, so smart, so strong... Let yourself go, Hermione, show me how **_good_** you are for me."

With those words, with Severus' kiss on the neck, with his fingers deep inside her and his persistent thumb around her oversensitive clit, Hermione came, stifling too loud moans and tears of pleasure. It was so beautiful. Severus was already addicted to her, to that wonderful vision, to her smell, to her hungry kisses. When her orgasm had calmed down, Severus smiled tenderly. Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him with all the love that her heart could contain. She took his face in her hands and brought it to her, to kiss him.

"Severus, oh Severus - please, I need you, I want you, take me" she whispered between a kiss and the other, her tired lips on his exhaled those weak words, still altered by the powerful orgasm to which she had recently abandoned herself. He returned every kiss.

"Hermione, if you give yourself to me now, I don't think I can..." Severus began to confide in her, but Hermione silenced him with a kiss.

"Make me yours, Severus Snape" she gave him all her consent and Severus lost all inhibition.

"Ah - ah, Hermione, I don't think I can last, not for long, not with you in my hands, but I swear to you that I'm going to **fuck** you to _exhaustion_!" Severus growled.

His hands frantically freed his aching cock from his underwear. Hermione didn't really have time to see it. The room was dimly lit, her senses were ensnared by him, by his smell, by his eyes, by his masculine body crossed by scars. Hermione could only feel. Severus' cock, hard as the rock, not too long to be uncomfortable, but large enough to stretch her, to make space inside her filling her completely, her juices wrapped it like sweet nectar and she could feel it slip with exhausting delight. Severus was inside her, his legs astride her right thigh, her left leg raised on his shoulder, her clit rubbing on his groin and her eyes were the mirror of her desires. Her muffled moans, her embers eyes, her trembling lips with each stroke he gave her, it was like being pierced every time, touching heaven with a finger, drowning in the depths of the sea, flourishing like a rose in the middle of a forest of brambles. It was perfect.  
Severus was losing control, reason, everything. Severus had opened his chest in half and handed her his heart and his body at the same moment, when the head of his cock had felt the softness and warmth of Hermione, that perfect, tight and wet pussy just for him, all for him. It couldn't last. His cock needed relief immediately. Hermione was too exquisite, he was too desperate, but she still asked for it. She begged him, her eyes were a unique prayer and he kept pushing, deeper and deeper, with more and more force, faster and more uncontrolled, until her prayers turned into uncoordinated moans and her name on his lips didn't turn into deep beastly growls.

"Hermione, 'm gonna come inside you, tell me - tell me you want it!"

"I want you, please fill me up, I'm yours!"

" _ **Mine**_! Oh Hermione, oh fuck - _fuck_!" Severus swore in the end.

He bit his lip to avoid moaning too loudly and filled Hermione with his warm, rich cum. The seed of life.

Both of them were blown out in front of the fireplace light. Eyes inside eyes, fingers intertwined, hearts forever tied and bodies passionately united.  
_-_-_-_-_-_  
Twelve chimes of the bell. Just like that in London that year, the arrival of Christmas was announced. Severus and Hermione had moved to the bedroom, where they had made love once again. They had fallen asleep embraced, barely dressed in their underwear to sleep. Above all, they had fallen asleep happy.

That morning, at dawn, their little girl joined them, slipping under the covers between them, to announce the arrival of Santa Claus, who had certainly eaten all the biscuits that she had left him. Hermione blushed and Severus smiled. He took the girl and made her lie on his chest, then stretched out an arm towards Hermione to bring her closer.

"Sleep Scarlett, it's not Christmas morning yet, we have time" he whispered. Hermione smiled when he winked at her. It was true, they had a lot of time: the rest of their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

If you liked this story, consider reading my other works, on my profile.  
Every kudos and every comment are welcome and appreciated. Obviously I make absolutely nothing from this, I don't own any copyrights either on the characters or on the shared images.  
 **Find me on Tumblr:[Dionysus Lover](https://dionysus-lover-ao3.tumblr.com/) for multifandom blog, headcanons and aestethics.**  
A kiss to everyone.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you liked it. Leave kudos and let me know what you think in a comment. Take care, love you ❤️


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